


And then there were four

by SerMisty



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, I don't like to use OCs in my fics but I just HAD to write this, Multi, OC, also this concurs as one of the worst and stupidest titles I have ever made tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-06-01 01:24:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6495310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerMisty/pseuds/SerMisty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A question from Steven brings back old memories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And then there were four

**Author's Note:**

> [Anonymous asked:  
> Prompt: The Pearls remember Pink Pearl, Steven notices that Lion is very similar in a lot of ways.] 
> 
> Ok, so: I don't use OCs in my fics and this will be the only expection, but the moment I saw this prompt I HAD to write it. That's mostly because me and _lapisincrocs_ (http://lapisincrocs.tumblr.com/) spent days giving life to a Pink Pearl and this was my occasion to write it.  
>  Don't expect her back, tho! This has been, as I said, an exception; also consider this as a sort of AU, because I usually write as a Pink Pearl doesn't even exist and so my next fics will all follow the tipical path. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Steven knows that asking too many questions will make Pearl feel uncomfortable and he doesn’t want that, so he tries to keep his curiosity to himself. He doesn’t always succeed.  
Sometimes he asks Blue, sometimes Yellow, but the answers he gets aren’t always enough to satisfy him.

And so one day when they’re alone, and the three pearls are leaned against the kitchen counter and Blue is trying to calm Pearl and Yellow who are arguing about _something_ , Steven comes closer and asks: «Is there a Pink Pearl?» 

Pearl and Yellow fall silent, their eyes open wide when they look at him. Blue stays still in between of them, mouth slightly open.  
Steven waits. He has learned that his questions often have this effect. 

«Why do you ask?» Pearl manages to murmur, coughing a couple of times.  
«You all lived with Diamonds» Steven says, and Blue reacts at his words with a sad smile because _oh_ , he is so _innocent_. «You stayed with Yellow Diamond, and you with Blue Diamond. And you lived with White Diamond, right? But then» and he opens his arms, he is very confused, «where is Pink Pearl?» 

Blue and Yellow look at each other, hesitant. Pearl hums, scratching the back of her neck. 

«She’s not here anymore» she admits.  
«Oh» Steven whispers. He is old enough to know what that means, and also old enough to understand that if Pearl uses other words it’s for herself and for them, not for him. 

They look away. Blue shyly searches for Pearl’s and Yellow’s hands, lost in her thoughts. 

«Was she-» and now it’s Steven’s turn to hesitate as he points at them, but he is too curious to draw back, «did you love her, too?» 

The three of them blush furiously. 

«No, no!» Pearl quickly objects. «I mean, yes, we loved her, and she loved us, but not like – not like _this_. She was our, our – mentor, you may say».  
«She was very old» Yellow suddenly intervenes, her smile a little forced, still flushed, but she intervenes. «Even older than Blue! She was the last one left of the first cycle of Pearls ever made. Pink Diamond never changed her: she was a piece of history». 

Blue pulls her shoulder pad to make her turn around: she opens and closes her hands, puts a finger on her forehead and then moves it away. Yellow enlightens. 

«Oh, and she knew everything!» she adds. «If you had a question you could always ask her. Even Diamonds consulted her, sometimes. She was somewhat respected. She was alive to see the dawn of Homeworld and its golden era».  
«And its fall» Pearl says.  
«Its fall, too».

Steven tries to hide his curiosity, but the idea of a gem so wise as they are depicting Pink Pearl amazes him. 

«Did she know my mum?» 

Pearl looks away, smiles slightly. 

«She did» she reveals. «Even more: she helped the start of the Rebellion, before she – died».  
«How did she die?» Steven asks, cautious.  
«She got corrupted». 

Their conversation is cut out because Lion, who was sleeping outside, walks through the open door and quietly strolls next to Steven, licking his face and then lying on the floor again while he laughs. 

«What did I tell you about _training that thing better_ , Steven?» Pearl crosses her arms, severe. Blue and Yellow hide a giggle behind one hand. 

Steven smiles awkwardly, embarrassed, and sits on the floor against Lion’s mane, careful not to fall into it. 

«Tell me something about Pink Pearl?» he tries. «Pretty please?» 

The three of them look at each other, uncertain.  
They remember. 

 

***

Blue remembers when she was made, out of one of the last cycles of Pearls that had to be taught to talk. She was perfect for Blue Diamond, who didn’t want to hear a sound. She didn’t want her to do anything: she just had to stay there and be. 

She remembers waiting outside while the Diamonds had a meeting, together with other pearls. At the time, there were another White and another Yellow, and they weren’t friendly at all, they pushed her away because she couldn’t talk, because they thought she was defective. 

Pink wasn’t like that. Pink, wrapped in her robe all along her body – she had that privilege, a symbol of old times – and her curls hidden in the cowl, took her by the hand and _talked_ to her. A little bit taller than Blue was – they were made like that, once – Pink spoke with such a gentleness that Blue would have fallen silent even if she wasn’t forced to. 

Pink stood by her side and loved her, protected her. She brushed her hair aside and, when Blue bushed, she said that her eyes were beautiful until Blue started to believe it. She told her stories of thousands of years ago, stories that even the Diamonds didn’t remember – oh, Pink remembered everything, every single thing she had ever seen.  
She seemed to take it upon herself to make Blue smile, and she often succeeded. 

Once, Blue remembers, she asked Pink to teach her to talk – because Pink knew everything, Pink _could_.  
Pink looked embarrassed, for the first time. 

«I can’t» she admitted. «This is something only your Diamond can do. It’s called imprinting, it’s a feature you were made with». 

Blue didn’t know what _imprinting_ meant and didn’t care. She took Pink’s hands between them, squeezed, looked desperate.  
Pink sighed. 

«Alright, little bird» she smiled, caressing her hair. «I can try». 

(Little bird, this was how she called her. She used to say that once, on Homeworld, there were things that flew in the sky on their own, without a weapon, and that they were now extinct. Blue didn’t really believe it, she thought that maybe her memory was failing, but nodded and smiled to make her happy). 

Pink did try. She spent more time than Blue could remember sitting in front of her slowly spelling words, emphasizing the sound, making her do exercises for her vocal cords. Blue put all the effort she had in it, but nothing more than a hum came out of her mouth.  
And when she cried, Pink held her in her arms and gently cradled her. 

«It’s fine, it’s fine» she whispered in her ear. «You’re perfect the way you are». 

Pink told her what imprinting meant. She told her that, in this way, Diamonds made sure their Pearls would have been loyal to them. 

«I suppose Blue Diamond doesn’t know about it» she guessed. «They are taking away this feature in newer cycles. See» and she put one finger on her nose, Blue smiled, «you’re already something special». 

Blue asked, with some gestures, if Pink was loyal to her Diamond because of this feature.  
Pink winked. 

«The effect lasts for long, but I last longer». 

Blue raised her eyebrows, surprised, but kept smiling. 

In spite of words, Pink taught her how to use holograms. Blue already knew that, but Pink helped her to sharpen her technique, to make them clearer and colored and articulated. Blue learned very fast. 

«You have a talent, little bird» Pink told her, honest, amazed. Blue felt happiness in every inch of her body. 

Blue also remembers that, when White first and then Yellow were made, she wouldn’t even have gone near them if Pink hadn’t convinced her. This was what she was grateful to her the most. 

And when she felt her feelings for them grow – feelings, how dared she, a Pearl, even have them – Blue went to Pink for suggestions, for help. 

«How do you feel?» Pink asked. 

Blue thought about it. In the hologram she projected, two wings were attached to her figure – because she felt exactly like that, like the birds of Pink’s stories, flying on her own, happy and free. 

Pink smiled. 

«Then go for it». 

Blue did, because Blue believed in her.  
Blue believed in her so much, that even when she understood what Pink was about to do, she didn’t argue. She hoped, oh, she hoped that White and Yellow could change her mind, but she herself trusted Pink’s great ability to take decisions. 

She just wishes she could have told her “goodbye”. 

 

***

 

Yellow was the younger one – the newer model, she often bragged, chosen expressly to serve Yellow Diamond – and maybe because of that it wasn’t a surprise that she and Pink had their contrasts. 

«You’re old» she told her once. «You’re older than the oldest gem I know. Why should I listen to you? You don’t know anything about me. Don’t you think it’s time for you to leave the scene? You’re a Pearl just like I am – your age doesn’t make you better!» 

Pink didn’t take it personally. She crossed her arms, her robe hid her hands completely. 

«I sure am old» she replied, «and I have outpaced lots of young pearls like you, with your arrogant attitude. Your Diamond has had so many pearls that I can’t even remember their faces. If you want to have a possibility to last as long as me, you should learn to listen to who knows more than you». 

Her words frightened Yellow, but the scare made the trick: having found a match, Yellow grew first respect and then affection towards her, though she never admitted it. 

When Pink told her something or gave her a suggestion, Yellow’s reaction was to shrug and act like she didn’t care, but in the end she did exactly what Pink had said, nonchalantly, like it was her own idea. Pink smiled in the distance. 

Pink never forced things between them, never tried to become Yellow’s confidant for her most secret thoughts – like she was for Blue, for White. She simply let her know that she was there, and that Yellow could rely on her. Yellow knew and appreciated it, and maybe if they had had more time together she would have accepted her help. 

She remembers the first time White and Blue discovered about her bruises, about Yellow Diamond's true nature. She remembers that, between hugs and tears and concern, White said: «Does Pink know about it?» 

Yellow shook her head firmly. 

«No, and don’t you dare tell her».  
«But why? She can help more than we can and-»  
«I don’t need her help. I don’t need yours, either. I’m fine». 

Blue drew a circle on her belly, pointed at her eyes and then at Yellow. The other frowned. 

«Now you’re just being ridiculous» she hissed. «She hasn’t seen me, she doesn’t know. She can’t know! Who do you think she is, a Sapphire? She’s just a Pearl, like us. And she won’t know, if you keep your mouths shut». 

White crossed her arms, frowned. 

«You sound like Yellow Diamond».  
«Leave me alone». 

Blue and White never told Pink anything. They kept the secret and helped Yellow by themselves, and Yellow was grateful for it.  
Sometimes – only sometimes – she could feel Pink looking at her, trying to see under her shoulder pad. Yellow covered herself, laughed it off. Pink nodded, her eyes didn’t soften. 

Yellow believes that Pink had always known. She thinks that maybe she resented her, for never telling her. 

The last time they argued was when Pink showed the intention to actuate what Yellow considered a suicide mission. Blue wasn’t there, and White neither – it was just the two of them. 

«For once, you should be the one to listen to me!» she exclaimed. «Don’t you understand? You’re going to die!»  
«I know».  
« _You know_? This is your answer? You’re going to throw away thousands and thousands of years with a simple “I know”?»  
«You said it yourself» and here Pink smiled, quiet and confident. «I am old. It’s time for me to leave the scene, and this is exactly how I want to be remembered».  
«You won’t be remembered at all. They’ll erase any memory of you».  
«That’s the point» Pink almost laughed. «I have lived for so long, kept alive by Pink Diamond to be shown like a piece of history. I am sick of being history, Yellow. I want to be nothing, and help someone else be something». 

Yellow clenched her fists, trembling. 

«Go ahead» Pink smiled. «Say what you think».  
«I think that you will only start a mess» Yellow replied, «and that it will have repercussions on us. I think that White will end up doing exactly what you’re doing now – because this is why you like her so much, isn’t it? Because she’s like you. Her defection makes her smarter, and Blue’s inability to talk makes her special, am I right?» 

Pink frowned. 

«I never preferred one of you over the other» she assured. «I love you all the same – and you love each other. Don’t say these things». 

Yellow shrugged. She looked away, her bottom lip trembling. 

«If White was the one telling you to stay, you’d listen to her». 

Pink sighed, shook her head. 

«Do you want to know the true difference between you and White?» she offered. «I think that you are wiser than White, and reflect more and what you do. But White follows what she believes, whereas you let the world hit you without even trying to move. White will make more mistakes than you, but you are making a single big one». 

Yellow snarled, her face flushed, tears daring to fall down. 

«I hate you».  
«I know you don’t». 

Yellow will never stop regretting those last words. And she is sure that Pink already expected that – she knew she didn’t mean it, and forgave her even before Yellow asked for it. 

 

*** 

Pearl was, according to Pink, desperate to learn. 

She couldn’t settle with what she knew, she had to know more and more and even more. It was because of her defect, she thought – though Pink never mentioned it, and she taught her everything she wanted to know without ever telling her _that's enough_.

She was so desperate to learn that she was willing to break the laws – and Pink was always the first to follow her, even push her.  
Pink secretly started to bring her to Pink Diamond’s library to make her read some books on Homeworld’s history. They read them together, and Pink from time to time corrected some information – _«Who wrote this? I was there, and it didn’t go like that!»_ – always leaving Pearl with the desire of knowing more and more and more. 

They used to talk a lot about a lot of things. As much as she loved them, Pearl couldn’t tell everything to Blue and Yellow. She couldn’t tell them how much she hated the Diamonds, and being a Pearl, and having to hide her defect to avoid being broken, she couldn’t tell them that she wished to change things. Yellow hated to hear those nonsenses, and Pearl loved Yellow, so she avoided the topic when she could.

But with Pink, oh, she could talk about everything. She could let herself go – and Pink listened and nodded and her hands, hidden by the cloak, sometimes went up to cover a little smile on her face. 

One day, Pearl remembers, they were in the library when the door opened and another gem walked in. 

«Pink, I need your help». 

The gem chocked, stopped. Pearl, raising her head, blushed and stepped back, too. 

Pink moved quickly, her cape floating behind her. 

«Don’t worry, White» she said, softly. «Rose Quartz isn’t like the others. She won’t tell a thing». 

Pearl blushed harder, lowering her head again. 

«I know» she whispered.  
«I beg your pardon?»  
«I know. I know her». 

Pearl remembers too well the way Pink stopped in the middle of a step, the hood of her cape falling down and revealing her pink curls, similar but way different from Rose’s ones. She looked at her, at Rose, and hummed. 

«Can we talk?» 

Rose, who looked just as uncomfortable as Pearl, nodded and preceded Pink out of the library. Pearl gulped and ran to the door, putting one ear against it. 

«What are you doing?» she heard Pink ask, severe.  
«I would have told you, believe me».  
«This is not what I mean. You can do what you want, and so can White. I just want to make sure that you know what you’re doing, because she doesn’t need to be dragged into _this_ ».

Pearl felt the guilt in her stomach, because she already knew what _this_ was. 

«Why not?» Rose replied. «If there is one other gem on Homeworld beside me and you that deserves to know, it’s her. Don’t you think so?»  
«I think that she’s head over heels and that she’s not ready for this. I think that she will make a mistake».  
«You should trust her more». 

Pearl listened, trembling, as Pink sighed. 

«What did you need my help for?» 

They walked away and Pearl couldn’t hear Rose’s response.  
She discovered it only time later – when she heard about the attempted assassination of Pink Diamond. 

A meeting was immediately called at Pink Diamond’s castle and White Diamond was the first to arrive, so Pearl and Pink found themselves alone, waiting for Blue and Yellow to come.  
Pink didn’t give a single word of explanation. There was no need to. She looked at her, face half-hidden in the robe, and said: «I’m going to take the blame». 

Pearl’s eyes widened. 

«What?»  
«I knew we shouldn’t have tried so early. Rose wanted to wait, but I thought I had found the perfect opportunity and I persuaded her. I was wrong: the bomb exploded too far away and Pink Diamond survived».  
«But-»  
«They suspect Rose. She is already in custody» Pearl couldn’t refrain a gasp, «and she will be condemned to death if they don’t find another culprit. I will be that culprit. Pink Diamond’s most prized possession – _the oldest Pearl in history_ – will be the culprit and give Rose the opportunity to try again, and succeed». 

Pearl didn’t realize she was crying until she covered her mouth with one hand and found her cheeks wet. Pink reached her and cupped her face, wiping away the tears with her thumbs. 

«There is no need to cry, my dear».  
«I’m sorry» Pearl sobbed, «you don’t have to do this». 

Pink let go of an affectionate laugh. 

«As cruel as it may sound, White, I’m not doing this for you. I’m not doing this _because_ of you. I’m doing this because I need to, because I want Homeworld to change and Rose will be the one to do that, do you understand?»  
«Yes, but-»  
«I _need_ you to understand, because one day you will have to make a choice. Be sure it’ll be the one you believe it’s right».  
Pearl stood still, fought back the tears, and nodded.  
«And maybe, one day, we’ll meet again». 

 

***

 

They don’t tell Steven all that. They tell Steven that Pink Pearl was very kind and gentle, that she taught Blue to make holograms and could keep even Yellow in her place. They tell him that Pink and Rose were two great fighters and that Pink’s sacrifice made possible for Rose to stat a proper rebellion – but they tell the story as a fairytale, when actually it has a little more tears in it.  
Steven, still leaned against a sleeping Lion’s mane, listens to everything without missing a word. 

«What happened next?» he asks. «They… Broke her?»  
«No» Yellow sighs, one hand holding Blue’s. «The punishment was worse. They poofed her, corrupted her, and waited for her to regenerate as a monster».  
«But she didn’t» Pearl adds before Steven can question what kind of monster she became. «Rose spared her from that pain. She bubbled her and kept her away, in secret».

Steven smiles, then scratches his chin. 

«And where is she, now?» 

They look at each other. Heads are shook, shoulders are shrugged. 

«I don’t know» Pearl admits. «I’m not even sure she brought her on Earth. Maybe she left her somewhere on Homeworld. It’s been a long time ago». 

Steven nods, humming. He is almost pushed on the floor, then, because Lion yawns and shakes his head as he gets up. 

« _Training_ , Steven» Pearl says, dry. 

Steven laughs. Gently, he presses on Lion’s mane, which immediately glows, and sinks one hand into it. Pearl rolls her eyes; Blue and Yellow, on the other hand, look quite surprised when his hand comes back with a bag of chips in it. 

«That is – new» Yellow murmurs.  
«Lion can store things in his mane!» Steven explains with a smile. Then, as he stuffs a handful of chips in his mouth, «Pink Pearl has ever hidden something inside her cape?» 

Pearl crosses her arms. 

« _Steven_ » he scolds him. «Pink was a gem of high culture and education, she would have never-» 

Blue interrupts her, pulling her arm and shaking her head. She projects a very simple hologram, showing an old book written in a language Steven doesn’t know.  
Pearl blushes. 

«Oh» she says. « _Oh_. I had forgotten about that».  
«What happened?» Steven jumps, smiling.  
«She brought us a book from Pink Diamond’s library, hiding it in her cloak. She did forward and back with that book at least ten times before we could read it all» and Pearl laughs a little bit.  
«And it wasn’t just books!» Yellow exclaims. «She could take everything out of her robe. Papers, essences, medicines, hair clips. Honestly, I don’t know how she held all of that. I always thought her cape was magical».  
Blue agrees with a firm nod and an amused smile. 

Steven turns around, laughing. 

«See, Lion?» he calls. «It could have been you!» 

Lion’s ears wave. The pink feline looks at the three pearls – who have now fallen silent and look back at him, surprised – and then yawns again. He turns around and walks away. 

«Lion, wait!» Steven runs after him. He stops, turns to Pearl. «Thank you for telling me about Pink Pearl!»  
Then he walks through the door, following Lion and trying to catch his attention by calling his name in repetition. 

Pearl leans against the counter again and lets out a sighs of relief. Blue crosses her arms, Yellow shakes her head. 

«I can’t believe that I considered it for a moment» they laugh.


End file.
